


UB-Sym-216: Papa Beast

by ScriptedLorekeeper



Series: Papa Beast [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Angst, Feral Behavior, Nihilego!Kukui, Other, Papa Kukui, Parent Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui, Possessive Behavior, kukui won’t let his son go, nope material incoming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-01-30 14:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21429628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScriptedLorekeeper/pseuds/ScriptedLorekeeper
Summary: We all know Lusamine is the only one canonically fused with a Nihilego, we all know Kukui likely treats Ash as a son. What if we combined it? What if Kukui was the one fused with a Nihilego but his desire to protect Ash and Burnet still remained?The answer is a whole load of chaos and nope.(Part of a series of ideas I had revolving around Nihilego!Kukui and the amount of collateral damage he leaves in his wake while trying to protect his surrogate son.)
Relationships: Burnet-hakase | Professor Burnet/Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui, Dr. Kukui | Professor Kukui & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Series: Papa Beast [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1544935
Comments: 8
Kudos: 128





	1. Part one

**Author's Note:**

> To be quite honest this is my first work posted here, I’ve had practice in writing before and I was encouraged by the discord server I’m on to post this work here. Updates will be slow so don’t expect me to churn out works like nobodies business. None of the characters belong to me also.

Usually one became champion without some kind of incident but for Ash it was never that simple. In fact this was one of the worst things that could’ve happened, it was enough to make his weirdness meter nope out in fear. It basically all started with an ultra Wormhole, a normal Tuesday for someone like Ash since his presence seemed to draw trouble like a magnet. Nothing he’d dealt with before, just three Guzzlords and a Nihilego. How wrong he was...

As he was ordering Melmetal into finishing off the last Guzzlord with a Flash Cannon a loud scream interrupted his concentration, dread coursed through him as he knew that voice. Soon afterwards he could hear people screaming and the sound of things being destroyed. He shivered slightly, almost afraid to turn around until he heard the unmistakable sounds of his friends in danger. He dashed towards the sound, ignoring the Guzzlord and recalling Melmetal into its pokeball. When he saw what was going on though he blanched an interesting shade of white. “Oh Arceus…” He whimpered, allowing himself to feel fear as what was in front of him could only be described as a nightmare.

If Lusamine’s fusion with an ultra beast was bad, Kukui was ten times worse. Literally.

Ash felt his entire being freeze up as he gazed upon this... monstrosity that was his mentor and surrogate father. The look was way different than Lusamine’s own; sporting a petal shaped ruff around the bottom of the dome like head, his lab coat was ripped from an obvious struggle, a white membrane sprouted from under the ruff to replace it, his glasses and hat floated in the dome head in a comical way and eight stingers (different in design) twitched and flexed. All in all it was grotesque sight, Ash had seen many things in his short life but this one was likely to take the cake if he didn’t do something quickly. Kukui had cornered the Kahunas and was likely to do something unpleasant judging by the look on his face that made Ash shiver slightly.

Knowing it would likely be a while before the Aether Foundation could get here Ash decided to one again do something stupid. But that’s what Champions were for, they protected the region from any threats even at the cost of their own safety. Not caring for the consequences he threw himself in front of the Kahunas, arms spread wide with a defiant look on his face as he glared at the monster his surrogate father has become. He heard the yells of the Kahunas for him to run but he stood his ground and faced danger head on. To his surprise Kukui froze as soon as he locked eyes with him, recognition sparked in his eyes and his expression morphed from predatory to shock. “Ash?” He asked, his voice had also changed becoming slightly deeper in pitch and with a bit of a growl on certain vowels. Ash really wished he didn’t have to do this but people were in danger, if he had to face his surrogate father to protect the region he’d do it.

“Leave them alone!” Ash stated defiantly, internally he was shaking and afraid but put on a brave facade. Kukui regarded him with a troubled expression, floating down until he was standing on his feet. Kukui took a step towards Ash who flinched slightly but held his ground, as Kukui approached Ash could hear the yells for him to run increasing. Instead Ash held his ground and defiantly met Kukui’s eyes, as if daring him to make any hostile movement. Instead Kukui stopped in front of Ash and knelt down to his height, his stingers lowered in a docile state. Ash tensed more and prepared to run, he swallowed thickly. Everyone held their collective breath.

“Ash...” Kukui began, “You have to run, I can’t stop it.” His expression was pleading and Ash felt his heart clench, “You know what this thing does to people so I’m asking you to run far and fast before I loose control.” Ash was shocked, Kukui sounded terrified and that wasn’t normal. “But we can help you!” He exclaimed, “We can make you better!” Kukui shook his head frantically, his entire fused body was starting to tremble slightly. “Please Ash! You have to get away from me! Find my wife and run as far as you can!” He yelled, now recoiling away from Ash and gripping his head in agony, trying to keep the beast at bay. Ash took a step forward despite his common sense screaming at him to heed the professors warning. The professor seemed to slump and Ash only got a split second warning to dodge before one of the beasts stingers came crashing down where he previously stood.

“Your not getting away Ash!” The professors voice was definitely different now, crazed and longing but Ash didn’t have time to dwell on these facts as he was too busy dodging wildly flailing stingers. Ash let out a high pitched screech that was cut short as he managed to dive through one of the arenas metal blast doors and they snapped shut behind him. A horrible roar sounded and the doors started denting as something slammed into it, Ash wasted no time as he quickly got up and sped off again. He had to find Burnet! He had to warn her! Maddened shouts for him to return spurred him on and he forced himself to run faster.

He crashed into Burnet as he was approaching the exit to the docks, they both fell down in a heap, Ash looked up to meet Burnet’s eyes. She took in his pale face and out of breath look and gave him a terrified look as she had also seen what her husband had become. Ash clung tightly to Burnet as she picked them both up off the floor, listening intently for any sound.

But it was quiet... too quiet... they shivered slightly as they crept towards the exit. If they could get a boat over to MeleMele island then they might enlist the help of Tapu Koko if it was feeling generous enough. A deep menacing chuckle broke them out of their musing, Ash froze and looked around frantically. Nothing there.

‘Wait... Above us!’ Ash realised.

Slowly Ash and Burnet looked upwards into narrowed grey eyes filled with predatory intent, Kukui has somehow clung to the ceiling and evaded their line of sight. “Found you!~” He purred and Ash made a noise that sounded like a dying whale. Burnet however reacted quickly and dived out the way with Ash in her arms as the beasts stingers whipped forward in a grasping motion. Burnet then dived out the exit door and locked it tightly, backing away towards the boats as the door started getting caved in.

Suddenly people in white jumpsuits shot forward and the two allowed themselves to sag in relief as the adrenaline wore off, the Aether employees immediately busied themselves in closing off the area and getting people to safety. Ash and Burnet were escorted to the President’s private helicopter in order to assemble the Ultra Guardians. A loud crash of tearing metal interrupted the takeoff as Kukui smashed through the door, further tearing the concrete and metal as his stingers pushed the hole apart to make it big enough for him to squeeze through. Ash shivered in fear and clung tight:er to Burnet, burying his face into her shirt. Burnet hugged him back, tears gathering in her eyes as she watched her husband battle with the Aether Employees, felling them with a single strike from his stingers and using moves that she had no idea he could use. A rock slide here, a sludge bomb there. It was complete one sided chaos as Kukui battled his way through the employees, almost as if he was looking for something... or someone.

Kukui then glimpsed the helicopter and recognised his dear wife and his son, he saw the Aether Employees loading them onto the helicopter and was filled with rage. Blue rings started showing up all over the jellyfish as Kukui’s pupils dilated, no one was going to take his family from him! No one! He roared in fury and blasted away the employees in front of him, they got in the way so they would be eliminated. He would make sure anyone who threatened his family would be dealt with!

Burnet and Ash turned at the sound just in time for a large heavy shape to attach itself to the helicopter. They both paled at the raw fury in the professors eyes as his stingers crushed the helicopters metal shell due to the force of its grip “How dare you!” He roared angrily, “Give them back!” He continued to crush the metal ruthlessly as the pilot tried in vain to shake him off, causing motion sickness for everyone inside. Ash tensed as he heard the telltale groan of metal giving way and cringed at the shrill tearing sound. Kukui had broken through the outer shell and into the internal wiring.

Ash whimpered and clung to Burnet as the tearing sounds continued. The furious Professor continued to rip apart the helicopter in the hunt for his wife and son, the two who he’d protect with his life! Kukui felt something give way beneath his stingers and the helicopter began to rapidly loose altitude. His eyes widened before he redoubled his efforts in ripping the door open, panic overtaking him. He could see his beloved and his son curled in each other’s arms. Just a bit more.

He was pulled out of his panic when the vehicle struck something and he was thrown off, he recovered quickly and lashed out with his stingers. Grabbing ahold of the helicopter just as it was about to go over a cliff, he yanked it back over the edge of the cliff with a grunt of effort. He paused for a minute to regain his strength before he strode over to the wrecked machine, ripping the door off its hinges and squeezing into the cramped space. His eyes widened as he saw his wife and son limp on the floor, they spotted a lot of cuts and bruises but weren’t hurt badly. Nevertheless he needed to get them somewhere safe.

Taking care not to wake them he scooped them up in his stingers, Ash looked so small and Burnet looked very vulnerable. Protective instincts flaring Kukui made the choice that no one was going to ever touch them again, not on his watch. Clutching the two more securely in his stingers he floated off the ground and took off towards Melemele island. There was only one place that qualified as safe in his mind.

———————————

The first thing that Ash registered was warmth, the kind of warmth that made you feel like you wanted to lie in forever. The second thing his registered was that he was resting on something soft yet rubbery and there was the sound of deep breathing next to him. The third thing he registered was the feeling of multiple bandages and a dull ache through he body. His eyes opened gradually, he quickly snapped them shut and panic set in. He cautiously opened his eyes again to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, “Nope” his brain supplied unhappily.

He was snuggled up against Kukui, stingers wrapped around his body and cuddling him close to the dome like head. He spied Burnet in the same position, her arms and legs covered in bandages and ointment shining on the numerous burns on her face and chest. She looked peaceful snuggled in the stingers. Ash wriggled around a bit in order to face Kukui, unlike how he looked when hunting them down he looked relaxed and happy. Peaceful even, which Ash knew was Tauros shit. The stingers suddenly tightened slightly as Kukui opened his eyes drowsily, he rubbed his eyes with his hand before taking control of the stingers. A jaw cracking yawn followed as he carefully moved Ash and Burnet to the bed they were all lying on, covering them both with a blanket before wandering off. Ash took the time to look around the room they were in, they were back in Kukui’s home and in his room. They were both sprawled out on Kukui’s bed and covered in bandages and burn ointment.

Ash rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as a delicious smell permeated the air, the smell of pancakes and berries wafted from the kitchen and Ash couldn’t help but drool at the smell. Then reality came back to him and he tries to move but a fresh wave of agony forced him to lie still with a small whimper. The sounds in the kitchen paused and Ash tensed when Kukui appeared in the doorway, his expression turned to relief when he saw Ash was awake. He grumbled a bit as he squeezed himself through the door and approached Ash slowly who continued to get more and more tense. Finally the stingers made contact and Ash flinched, expecting pain. All he felt though was a gentle touch as he was picked up and cuddled like a baby, “Keiki... you’re alright. Thank Arceus...” Kukui whimpered as he cuddled his son close, taking care not to aggravate his injuries.

Ash was confused and more than a little afraid but he soon relaxed without meaning to, this was all so familiar yet it felt so wrong at the same time. Kukui nuzzled him for a bit before carefully carrying him through to the kitchen and sitting him down at the table. As he went to check on the pancakes Ash observed the bandages covering his arms, legs and chest. It hurt to move but it had quieted to a dull ache, Ash couldn’t remember where he got the injuries though as all he could remember was... the helicopter crash! Kukui had broken the coupling that kept the blades spinning and caused them to crash, Burnet had likely taken the worst of it which explained why she was still out cold. He was brought out of his musings as a plate of pancakes was placed in front of him via creepy space jelly stinger; he looked up to see Kukui using the eight stingers gained from his fusion to prepare more pancakes for Burnet, crush berries to make juice, clean the dishes and set the table. It was so oddly domestic Ash forgot for a minute that Kukui was merged with something known for driving its hosts to violence.

There was a small squeak of pain from the bedroom and Kukui quickly put down the dish he was drying, hurrying over to make sure Burnet hadn’t opened any of the cuts he’d had to stitch up. He found her on the floor holding her side in agony, blood was staining the bandages. “It hurts!” She wailed, thrashing about in agony but only making the pain worse. Alarmed Kukui quickly yet gently cradled her in his stingers and squeezed with some difficulty into the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit. He carefully tore away the bandages around her middle and hissed at the open wound there, the stitches had snapped and blood was seeping out the gash. “Hold on honey... the pain will fade” Kukui told her soothingly. Gripping her hand with one stinger and whispering more soothing words he began to clean, disinfect and stitch the wound. Once he was done he cleaned up the dry blood with a wet cloth and bandages her wound.

Burnet watched Kukui in mild shock throughout the entire time, from what she read Nihilego made its host violent and not caring. She cried a little from the pain and gripped the stinger offered to her to starve off most of the pain, there was a rattle and she opened her tear clouded eyes to see Kukui holding out a bottle of painkillers. She dry swallowed two pills and cuddled up to him for comfort as he packed the first aid kit away. Kukui gently picked her up again and brought her to the kitchen where a worried Ash was squirming in his seat, Kukui shot him a mildly irritated look “Stop squirming, you’ll open your wounds again. It was hard enough to patch you two up while I was still getting used to these things.” He placed Burnet on another seat and flexed his stingers to back up his claim. Ash quieted immediately and started poking at his plate of pancakes, seeming more subdued than normal but Burnet guessed she knew why as she eyed Kukuo who was busying himself in gathering up the plates.

Kukui fetched the other two plates of pancakes, some glasses and a pitcher of freshly squeezed berry juice and settled himself on a stool because the Nihilego’s dome like head made it difficult to sit normally. He detached his arms from the ‘gloves’ inside the jelly head and reached through the thick membrane of the dome head for his plate which he then took inside the head to everyone’s shock. He polished off the pancakes pretty quickly as it became obvious to the two that he’d likely stayed up all night caring for them. They quickly turned to their own plates once they realised how hungry they were and dug in, Kukui poured himself some juice and observed his family, making notes on how best to spend the day with them. He’d already stalked around the house and made it a lot safer after he finished caring for his Keiki and Wife. He collected the empty plates and glasses after the juice was finished off, putting them in the sink.

Ash squirmed in place, wondering what was going to happen next but Burnet seemed to slump onto the table as if exhausted despite being out cold for a few hours. Kukui hurried over to her side and checked her over, carefully pressing his stingers against a few of the burns and causing her to moan in slight pain. Sighing Kukui carried Burnet back to his bedroom and placed her on the mattress, covering her with a thin blanket and nuzzling her as he couldn’t exactly kiss her.

Ash meanwhile saw a chance and got up from the table, ignoring his injuries with the ease of practice and staggering over to the door. However a stinger crashed down in front of him, blocking his way and causing him to leap back in alarm. Turning around he saw an irritated looking Kukui with his stingers raised and carrying blankets. The Professor huffed in slightly exasperation as he picked Ash up by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to the sofa despite a ton of protests. Ash was wrapped burrito style in the blankets and propped up on pillows once he was dumped gently on the sofa, “What did I say about aggravating those injuries Keiki?” Kukui deadpanned, disapproval radiating off his entire being. Ash just curled in on himself and refused to answer, choosing to sulk rather than answer.


	2. Part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kukui’s personality is... very different when corrupted by Nihilego. But I’m pretty sure you all already realised that from the last chapter... He’s a bit more protective... and vicious.

Once he’d gotten Ash settled down and Burnet taken care of Kukui set about pacing around the house, checking every nook and cranny for anything suspicious. If he was to protect his Keiki and Wife he had to make sure his home was secure first, daily checks were going to be needed if he was to make sure they all stayed safe. He also hadn’t forgotten that battle he had with the Aether Foundation, the sheer adrenaline alone was not worth feeling again unless he had to protect his family. Still though his move performance was sloppy and badly executed, he needed to practice more and get used to his new body. Flight he could easily work with and the ability to do many things at once appealed to him but the ability to fight and fight well was more important.

First he needed to analyse which moves he could use, work on his aim, increase the power of his attacks and then put them into practice. He would go out and seek opponents to test himself against but he had to stay and care for Ash and Burnet who were still in a vulnerable state. His stingers curled themselves into tight fists at the thought of those who’d hurt his son in the past and how satisfying it would be to eliminate them so they wouldn’t hurt Ash again. His face twisted into a cruel smirk as he pictured snuffing out the light in their eyes as they pleaded for mercy he wasn’t willing to give.

Shaking himself out of his daydream he started locking all the windows and doors to his home, he couldn’t have his family be snatched from under his stingers if he left them all unlocked. He glanced at Ash to see he’d somehow wriggled out the blanket cocoon and was now watching cartoons, pointedly not looking at him which caused irritation and exasperation to well up within him. He hoped Ash would eventually understand that he was protecting them both. Burnet seemed to get it though but he really hoped it wasn’t just because she was still experiencing side effects from the crash, he’d checked for a concussion to be sure. He huffed slightly, which made his son jump, and made his way over to the front door. “Ash I’m going to be outside practicing, if Burnet wakes up make sure to grab the heating pads and some painkillers just in case she experiences any pain!” He called over, he got a moody look in return but knew his Keiki understood what needed to be done.

Carefully squeezing himself out the house and onto the front porch he locked the door securely before turning to the large beach splayed out in front of him. He spied a ton of large rocks a little to his right which would make good targets they were big enough to hit without the attacks going off course. He knew that the first step to learning new moves was to follow his instinct but he wasn’t sure if he’d be successful in his endeavour.

He approached the rocks and let go of his mental blocks, allowing instinct to take over as he imagined the rocks to be an Aether Employee. He felt something build up inside the Nihilego before he slammed his stingers on the ground, the effect was instant as waves of vicious purple liquid ripped out from the place where his stingers has struck. Splattering over the rocks and causing them to melt with a loud hissing sound, Kukui stared at this before grinning evilly. Sludge Wave, he could work with that. He aimed at another rock, another move was ‘selected’. This time it was more destructive as he punched the ground and glowing blue rocks erupted out the ground, Stone Edge. He laughed giddily as he did so, these were perfect moves for him so far. Suddenly the back stingers pointed forward along with the front stingers, an orb of white energy was gathered there. Kukui barely had time to brace himself before the Hyper Beam was launched at the rocks he created with Stone Edge. The resulting explosion kicked up a lot of dust.

Ash sat up in alarm when he heard the loud boom and hurried to the window to get a better look but he could barely see anything. A purple haze had obscured the beach, blocking out all light and causing everything to be plunged into darkness. Ash shivered but carefully limped over to the door and tried it only to be alarmed by discovering it was locked. He rushed round the house trying every door and window only to discover they were also locked. In a fit of desperation he tried the skylight, success! He looked back at Kukui’s room which still contained a passed out Burnet and fetched the ladder, he had to get help. He braced the top of ladder carefully against the skylight and hastily climbed up into the roof. Here he had a full view which was the entire beach was obscured by a cloud of purple sand like substance. Ash shivered slightly, knowing full well what Kukui was up to judging be the foul smell wafting up from the beach.

Kukui panted with adrenaline as he exhausted his entire moveset in pulverising rocks, he’d gotten a lot better at aiming his attacks and the sandstorm was very useful in keeping prying eyes away. He still had trouble controlling the power output of his Hyper Beam though because in a real fight, being exhausted would leave him open to attacks and allow others to take advantage of his weakened state to snatch his Keiki and beloved. He stretched his sore arms and stingers, finding it way easier to use his new body than before where all his movements were sluggish and uncertain. He let the Sandstorm dissipate and was thinking about taking a dip in the ocean to cool off when he heard a frantic scrabbling noise. He looked up and his eyes widened in alarm as he saw his Keiki had somehow escaped and climbed onto the roof. Panic overtaking him he launched himself over as Ash lost his grip.

Ash screeched in alarm as he fell through the air, this was a bad idea but he went through with it anyways and he didn’t have any flying types big enough to carry him. He shut his eyes right and braced himself to land and possibly give himself a concussion but instead he felt himself collide with something soft. An “Oof!” beneath him told him exactly who had caught him and his guess was confirmed when four stingers wrapped around him tightly, cuddling him close. “Keiki your going to give me a heart attack one of these days...” Kukui deadpanned, picking himself up from the sand and shaking himself off after checking his son was okay.

Ash just made a mildly peeved noise and crossed him arms, pouting childishly which slightly frustrated Kukui. “Back in the house you go, I’m just trying to protect you” Kukui carried Ash to the front door and unlocked it, carefully placing him on the couch and checking see if any of his injuries had opened up. Ash squirmed throughout the entire check and eventually had to be restrained by his four back stingers. Unfortunately Ash promptly burst into tears when he did this, Kukui panicked and enveloped his son in a large hug in order to try calm him down. However Ash only cried harder and only calmed down when Burnet staggered into the room, Kukui caught her in his stingers when she toppled over and cuddled them both close. He purred faintly as he savoured the closeness of his family, Ash eventually stopped crying as he was hugged by both his parent figures and quieted to hiccups.

Kukui supported Burnet with two of his front stingers as she staggered back to bed, cradling Ash in the other two and rocking him from time to time to soothe him whenever he squirmed. He carefully placed the two back on the bed and looked at his wife “Please keep him out of trouble, I can’t have another near death experience which will result in him being more injured than he already is…” Kukui told her forlornly. He seized upon his chance and forced the Nihilego’s instincts down, he turned to Burnet with a pleading look. “You know what this thing did to Lusamine while she was fused, all I ask of you is to help me.” He saw his wife’s eyes widen, “I can only hold this thing back from wreaking havoc for minutes at a time and it takes a lot of mental energy. So I beg of you my beloved, please help me.” Burnet could only nod in determination as her husbands eyes turned dull and protective again.

She said nothing as he gently ruffled Ash’s hair with one stinger, gave her a gentle hug along with a nuzzle which she responded with equal enthusiasm and carefully squeezed himself out the room while muttering Alolan profanities under his breath. She managed to contain her giggles and turned to the sleeping boy curled up on the bed, she ran her fingers through his hair gently and pondered what to do next.

——————

Meanwhile outside the house a familiar trio of idiots were sneaking up on the seemingly innocent building, all of them had the mother of all bad ideas running through their heads. These were Jessie, James and Meowth of Team Rocket and they were about to have the most traumatic experience of their lives.

They all snuck up to the front door which was miraculously unlocked, they didn’t know why things had suddenly gone south at the league but they knew that the twerp was at his guardians house right now. Perfect time to snatch Pikachu when he was asleep! They crept up the steps while ignoring their gut feeling that told them something was very wrong, Meowth in particular found an odd smell that set his refined instincts on edge as it was the scent of a predator and a powerful one.

It was James who opened the door and Jessie who was the first to enter the room, what they didn’t know was that a certain professor was watching them from the rafters... and he was FURIOUS. How dare these three show their faces when they knew full well they weren’t welcome! How dare they come to his Keiki’s place of safety! How dare they! Kukui snarled slightly as his assessment deemed them a threat to his family and used his stingers to grip onto the rafters like an Ariados from the Distortion World, waiting for the Rocket intruders to notice him. Surprisingly it was the Meowth who noticed him first, it turned pale and whimpered which alerted the other two. He immediately crawled closer to the trio, performing a stunt he’d seen in a movie his Keiki had picked out last week. It was very satisfying hearing the screams from the three as they tried to run from him. They weren’t getting away however. They needed to be punished for trespassing on his families safe haven.

He launched himself from the porch and over the Rockets heads, landing in front of them with a crash, stingers splayed in obvious aggression as the blue ring pattern begins showing up again to mark his berserker state activating. This time though he felt his eyes burn lightly and his canines ache as they grew slightly longer and more feral like. The rockets recoiled in fear as red eyes bore into their souls, the usually energetic and sunny professor was now reduced to a beastial state which was ruled by the need to protect his Keiki and beloved. A Papa Beast as you may call him from now on.

Kukui roared angrily and lashed out with his stingers, the rockets flailed around for a little before dodging the strike which pulverised the ground beneath them and caused an explosion of sand to be thrown up. They sent out their Pokemon but even the vicious ghost and the poison type fell before his stingers, a Stone Edge took care of them and a stab from a poison covered stinger ensured they were down for the count. Kukui purred with satisfaction as he relished the expressions on the Rocket’s faces, served them right for harming his son and traumatising him. He used their shock to use his stingers to perform a grapple combo which lead to them being essentially punted across the sands which a ton of deep wounds that oozed blood and poison. He panted a little to shake off the adrenaline that had clouded his mind and stride over to the still forms of the rockets, prepared to finish the job.

However it was not to be as a familiar blur almost clotheslined him had he not ducked in time, he snarled angrily at the interruption and stabbed at the thing preventing him from keeping his Keiki safe. His stingers met the tall frame of the Bewear that always took care of the rockets, he huffed slightly and promptly surplexed the thing. Luckily he was unaffected but the crushing strength it possessed as the Nihilego body cushioned the blows. Hissing in displeasure and snarling like a wild animal he unleashed the strongest Hyper Beam he could without draining his energy too much, the badly beaten Bewear wailed in pain as it crashed beside the rockets. Kukui couldn’t bring himself to care as all he knew now was that he had to protect Ash and Burnet, as he raised his stingers to end them permanently a voice rang out.

“Oto-san! Don’t!”

He froze, stingers pausing in mid strike. He turned to see his Keiki frantically sprinting towards him, a flash of panic overtook Kukui when Ash crumpled because he still wasn’t healed. He dashed forward, catching and cradling his son in his stingers, forgetting all about the Rockets who took the opening to escape via severely weakened Bewear. Kukui cuddled his son close, allowing his familiar presence to soothe his battle instincts and allow him to think clearly again. “Don’t... Hurt them.. please...” Ash begged him weakly, raising a hand that was gripped gently by a stinger. “But Keiki they were going to hurt you again! Wouldn’t it be better to end the threat now rather than suffer another day by keeping them alive?” Kukui couldn’t understand why Ash would spare those who had harmed him, Ash just looked at him with those sorrowful eyes.

“It’s not worth having blood on my hands Oto-San...” he told him. Kukui huffed in annoyance but was now fully calm, the burning sensation in his eyes had stopped and his teeth no longer ached. As he carried Ash back inside the house again his only thought, that brought a happy warm feeling into the pit of his stomach, was that Ash had called him Dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Did Team Rocket deserve that beating?


	3. Part three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you have to spend a good while relaxing and forgetting about all the bad things going on... however the issue at hand has a nasty way of coming back to haunt this little family.

After the fiasco with Team Rocket Kukui figured he should take some time to bond with his family to reassure them that they were safe, but what to actually do kept gnawing at his senses. He of course was going to take his family on an outing but he couldn’t take them somewhere where others could easily snatch them. Also they’d likely be attacked while out in the open and he couldn’t risk it.

As he pondered what to do he cuddled Ash in his stingers, gently running one of them through his sons hair to soothe him. It was working for the most part as Ash wasn’t making any sound and felt really relaxed but he could tell from his expression that he was depressed. It broke his heart to see Ash look so depressed. He returned to his room where Burnet has woken up and was busy reading, she sat up in alarm when Kukui came in cradling a worn out Ash in his stingers. She carefully got up, now no longer trembling with effort, and staggered over to them. Kukui handed Ash over to her and nuzzled her gently, trying to convey to her that he was fine. He suddenly hissed a little when a small stab of pain flowed up from his stingers, he turned them over to see a ton of small scratches and friction burns from the sand. He cursed quietly and tried to hide it but Burnet placed Ash on the bed and gently took his stinger in her hands.

She lead him to the bathroom where she seemed to be indecisive between the potions used on Pokemon and the normal wipes. Kukui watched her before he suddenly knew what to use on his scratches, he picked up the bottle of potion and nudged his wife who raised an eyebrow but shrugged and carefully sprayed it on the scratches and sand burns. Kukui hissed a little at the sting but carefully clung to his wife, stingers gently curling around her waist and shoulders. She carefully rubbed the dome like head with a practiced hand, calming him down as the scratches healed. Within minutes Kukui was purring in her lap as a puddle of happy alien jelly fusion goo due to the petting, Burnet allowed herself to smile as once again her husbands habits shone through the Nihilego’s corruption. Stingers slithered up her arms and carefully brought her close to the dome like head which snuggled her happily in response to Kukui’s purrs. She giggled lightly then squeaked as she was once again hoisted up, this time in a bridal carry, and taken back to the bedroom where Ash was busy bouncing on the bed.

Kukui then had an idea on how to have an outing with his family without getting either attacked or kidnapped. A picnic should suffice but he needed Ash and Burnets help to make it happen by helping him make the picnic spread. “Burnet? Ash?” He asked slowly which caused them to turn their attention to him, “Can you help me make a picnic spread, were going to Melemele Meadow.” Ash’s eyes widened before he promptly jumped off the bed with a happy screech, barrelling past Kukui and into the kitchen. Kukui and Burnet exchanged an eye roll before joining him in the kitchen where he was already pulling out all the necessary items in order to make the spread.

Kukui quickly grabbed the mixing bowels and ingredients in his stingers and began making Malasada batter, Ash was helping Burnet cut berries and fruit to put in a salad mix along with some sandwiches. Kukui was just adding the Moomoo milk to the mix when he was suddenly pelted with flour, he wiped the flour off the dome head to see Ash grinning and his hands covered in flower. “It is so on!” Kukui chuckled before managing to cuff Ash in the back of the head with a stinger full of flour, Burnet joined in by pouncing on the back of the jelly head and fake wrestling Kukui to the floor while Ash helped. Soon they were all in a laughing heap on the floor, covered in flour.

Once they’d cleaned themselves up and fried the Malasadas after mixing in their favoured blend of berries they relaxed for a while near the couch since Kukui’s stingers were soft and squishy. Kukui himself didn’t mind if Ash and Burnet used his stingers as their new couch, it just meant to him that they could be closer as a family. Kukui then deposited his family on the couch as he packed the picnic basket with the food they prepared along with a blanket and some cutlery. He also included a selection of their favourite drinks and some straws just in case.

Meanwhile Ash and Burnet were quietly conversing amongst themselves, planning on how to slip away when Kukui wasn’t paying attention and get help. They both knew Kukui was going to be very angry when they did so but ultimately it was to help him, they did feel guilty though. He’d done nothing but take care of them, thing was they had to split him from the Nihilego before he hurt anyone else like he hurt Team Rocket. If it wasn’t for Ash’s intervention Kukui would’ve likely followed through on his stance of killing them as revenge for what they’d done to Ash. Burnet in particular felt extra guilty because her husband had tended to her wounds and kept her safe even if he did cause the crash in the first place. She idly tugged at the bandages in discomfort, she hoped they would be removed soon but she viewed protecting Ash from the worst of the damage as an ample excuse to get hurt.

Ash meanwhile was quite depressed, he’d left Pikachu behind by accident when he was running off to fight the Guzzlord. All his other Pokemon seemed to have been confiscated also as his Pokeballs were missing, likely as a result of Kukui knowing what would happen if he had access to his pokemon. Rotom was also missing as he’d left it with Professor Oak for an update on the amount of information he’d collected on Alolan pokemon. He was grateful to Professor Kukui for taking care of him and protecting him from Team Rocket but he was afraid of what his surrogate father figure had become. He always seemed to have this undertone to his usual docile aura, as if he was one push away from becoming the savage Beast he’d seen tearing Team Rocket a new one. While he’d managed to somehow soothe the Papa Beast he knew it was only a matter of time before even he couldn’t calm his father figure down.

Kukui perked up when he finished packing the basket and happily ambled over to the two, presenting the basket to them happily with a pleased look on his face. Ash perked up from his depressed state and rushed to the door, Burnet stood up shakily and Kukui supported her as they followed Ash outside. Once outside Kukui quickly stuck out a stinger and carefully wrapped it around Ash’s middle, at his questioning look Kukui explained. “Ash, you’re a known trouble magnet. This is only so you don’t run off and hurt yourself more.” Ash gave him the stink eye but a pleased warmth welled up from inside him when Kukui uttered those words. Kukui chuckled and tightened the stinger around Ash’s middle carefully, using the other stinger to carry the basket and the other two stingers on his opposite side to help Burnet walk.

Luckily they didn’t encounter any trainers on their way to the Meadow, a couple of Pokemon got close but took one look at Kukui and fled apparently intimidated by the hidden predatory aura he possessed. Ash and Burnet trotted alongside him, two of his stingers wrapped around their middles to prevent them from running off no matter what he said otherwise. They both knew Kukui would fight tooth and nail to have them by his side forever, Hala had mentioned that Kukui had abandonment issues that were never addressed but they never thought it would be this bad. Nevertheless they knew they had to indulge the possessed professor some way or another or they might experience the negative effects more than the positive ones.

———————

Melemele Meadow was relatively untouched since most trainers avoided it due to it being so close to the Tapu ruins, though from time to time most would go there for relative peace and quiet. ‘It was also the best place to have a picnic despite the threat of Tapu Koko,’ Kukui mused to himself as he spread the blanket out on a patch of hard dirt and placed the basket down in the middle. He knelt down and got himself as comfortable as his new fused body would allow, Ash and Burnet joining him soon after and relaxing in the quiet sounds of nature.

It was Ash who opened the basket first and passed round the food, digging into his sandwich with gusto. Burnet was more polite with her eating but it was obvious that she was ravenous as she devoured her sandwich. Kukui meanwhile shoved his sandwich past the membrane of the Nihilego’s head, unplugged his hands from controlling the tendrils which settled in a protective embrace around Ash and Burnet and grabbed his sandwich. Taking a huge bite out of it and just now realising how hungry he was.

They sat in silence while they polished off the food and drink, Kukui seemed to be docile for the moment as they ate but Burnet could see the tense posture he was in and the way his eyes darted around suspiciously before going back to concentrating on his food. She knew he was being paranoid and didn’t fault him for that but she wished he’d relax for a bit as neither she nor Ash were in any danger. As they were packing away the empty plates, cutlery and boxes in the basket. It happened

Kukui sensed it before the other two could, bolting upwards so fast that Ash jumped a foot in the air in fright. He slammed his stingers onto the ground and a Stone Edge surrounded them all before a blast of electricity struck the stones, it was redirected into the ground safely and no one was hurt. Kukui snarled in fury as the stone wall disintegrated to reveal Tapu Koko hovering there with a furious glare on its face, it’s entire body was already crackling with electricity. Kukui was about to charge when a whimper from Ash brought his attention to the fact his family was going to be caught in the crossfire if he didn’t do something now. Quick as a flash he scooped up his son and wife, darting to the left as another blast left the ground scorched luckily missing the basket and picnic blanket. Kukui cradled his family close as he frantically searched for somewhere to put his family so they’d be out of harms way.

Finally he spotted a cave big enough to shelter his son and wife, he hurried over and carefully deposited the two on the cave floor. “Stay here!” He hissed urgently but with an underlying tone of anger “I’ll come get your when I’m done!” His eyes flashed red again and the blue ring pattern appeared again, he used his stingers to shoo his family further into the cave and for good measure used a Stone Edge to protect the entrance. Ash and Burnet huddled close to each other, trembling as the sounds of battle along with displeased shrieks and angry roars. They feared for Kukui but pitied Tapu Koko as it had no idea what it was up against because despite the docile state they usually saw Kukui in his fusion seemed a lot more combat oriented than Lusamine was.

It was Ash who spotted it, a small hole that could fit a grown man at the other end of the cave. It looked like he could crawl through with room to spare. He signaled to Burnet and they made their way through the opening, Burnet taking care not to aggravate her injuries, coming out in a dimly lit cavern that was highlighted by the many small pools dotted about. Ash and Burnet looked at each other and hopeful looks came across their faces.

With luck they might be able to find a way out and send a plea for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe in the future I’ll edit this chapter to have a more epic fight scene. Who knows? Plus the next chapter will be a little longer, as an advanced warning all hell is going to break loose soon.


	4. Part four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation of the fight between Tapu Koko and the Papa Beast, who will win and can Ash and Burnet find the help they seek?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this one took me a while to complete and I’m not proud that it took a long time to write, but I’m halfway through! It’s only going to get more dark from here unfortunately as Kukui sink further into neurotoxin drenched madness in an effort to keep his family safe.

To say Kukui was pissed was an understatement, on the contrary he was absolutely beside himself with rage and protectiveness. Since coming back to Melemele with his unconscious family he hadn’t done anything he thought would warrant Tapu Koko’s attention, he hadn’t attacked any innocents or gone on a destructive rampage. He’d only cared for his family and stayed out the Tapu’s way as long as they didn’t point their rage at his family but for Tapu Koko to have the gall to say he was harming innocents pissed him off. That blast also could’ve hit his family and done more damage than he could’ve healed without being forced to take them to hospital and potentially get attacked.

He quickly darted to the side as Tapu Koko fired an electro ball at him, using his back stingers to provide extra force to his jumps. He retaliated with a Stone Edge that boxed the Guardian in, not giving an inch to see if he could rest he unleashed a massive Sandstorm attack to blanket the entire area. Swapping speed for stealth as he took refuge in the purple haze. He easily saw through the sand due to the Nihilego giving him much clearer eyesight, he was pretty satisfied to see Tapu Koko freeing itself from the stone prison only to get battered about by the sand. It retreated into its shell to protect itself but Kukui could still see it was struggling to sense him. Perfect.

He carefully charged up a Hyper Beam, taking careful time to aim properly and channel the correct amount of energy into the attack. He unleashed it when he was sure it was charged enough. It hit Tapu Koko with the force of a train, creating a huge explosion that blew away the Sandstorm momentarily and kicked up a backwind that forced Kukui to shield himself with his front stingers. He recovered just in time to see Tapu Koko charging up its signature attack, Natures Madness, he couldn’t allow it to hit him otherwise it would weaken him severely. Tapu Koko was a fairy type, from what he researched Nihilego was a Poison Type. Poison beat Fairy. He smirked evilly and squeezed his stingers together, building up poison and pressure until he slammed his stingers on the ground. The result was a literal wave of poisonous liquid that crashed down on the Guardian, disrupting its concentration and causing a backlash when its move failed.

Kukui watched as a smoking Tapu Koko tried in vain to keep flying but it was obvious it was struggling to keep upright, he immediately leapt forward and brought his stingers down on the disoriented guardian. Smacking it to the floor like some rag doll before tossing it to the side. The guardian of Melemele was unable to withstand the onslaught as it was also heavily poisoned from the sludge Wave, it decided that the only option was to retreat. This fusion was too strong for it to subdue, all it could depend on now was that Ash could find a way to beat it. However it seemed like this fusion protected him viciously, it needed backup. Tapu Koko got up, still in a lot of pain from its injuries, and flew off before Kukui could pummel it some more. Heading in the direction of its shrine to heal and summon its Kahuna.

Kukui came down from the adrenaline high, slightly satisfied that he was successful in protecting his family from the guardians wrath. He then slightly collapsed as the adrenaline finally wore off, utterly exhausted for some reason. He rested for a couple of minutes before staggering over to the cave where he’d stashed his family away, he broke down the stone barrier he’d created. He froze. Where were they?! Where was his Keiki?! Where was his wife?!

He snarled furiously and his stingers lashed out, hitting the walls and the ceiling of the cave, venting his frustration so he could be more calm when he went on the hunt to find his family. Once he’d vented his frustration he immediately crouched down, footprints matching the shoes of his wife and son stood out on the dusty floor. He followed them to an opening at the back of the cave, too small for him to squeeze through. He chuffed in annoyance, didn’t they know that the cave beyond lead to a beach from which there was no escape? Nevertheless he’d have to track them down. He went back to where the picnic blanket and basket were still lying intact on the ground and packed away the blanket, heaving the basket into his stingers and crouching in order to provide extra kickoff.

Vaulting into the air and floating there for a bit his eyes picked out two figures on the secluded shore, trying in vain to find an exit point. Feeling a bit peeved Kukui shot over to the secluded beach, searching the two figures out to see if they were his wife and son. When he saw the familiar white hair and red hat he sped up and crashed down in front of Ash and Burnet, kicking up a plume of sand.

Ash coughed and spluttered, covering his eyes and mouth in order to block out the sand being kicked up. He felt Burnet clinging to him protectively as the sand settled to reveal the still fused Professor, he was covered in scratches and bruises but was unharmed otherwise, he looked mildly amused and annoyed at the same time before it gave way to exasperation. “And what would running away from me achieve?” Kukui asked in a tired voice, facepalming with one stinger and handing the picnic basket to Burnet. Ash shuffled his feet and looked very nervous which Kukui picked up on and gently rubbed Ash’s head with one stinger to calm him down. “I’m not mad I’m just disappointed,” Kukui drawled in mild annoyance, “After I took care of you I thought you’d stay with me. Please don’t make me do something drastic because I don’t want to give this thing an excuse to make me do things I don’t want to do.” Kukui unplugged one of his hands to gesture to the Nihilego surrounding him in order to back his claim up. “It’s hard enough to not give into the temptation sting everything in a mile radius of my house so you’d both be safe” he mumbled, his voice half embarrassed to admit that and half mortified that he even thought about it in the first place.

Ash felt slightly guilty and burrowed himself into his father figures stingers, Burnet followed when coaxed in by Kukui and soon all of them were in a snuggle pile. Kukui purring in happiness as he pulled his family close and nuzzled them again with the dome head of the Nihilego. This hug pile helped soothe Kukui and allow him to calm himself down again, locking away his battle instincts and causing the ring pattern to vanish again.

—————

Climbing up the cliff face was a chore and very difficult, mostly because he had to make sure his family was safe and secure. Then again he was infinitely glad that his back stingers were just as flexible. Kukui gripped onto the rock tightly with his stingers, supporting Ash and Burnet with his back stingers and holding them close to the dome head. The two in question were holding onto the back of the dome head with an iron grip, the four back stingers were wrapped around their middles to make them feel more safe.

He heaved himself over the edge of the cliff and deposited Ash and Burnet on the ground gently, both were rather pale but that was to be expected. They had just witnessed him taking on the island guardian god and winning by a landslide. Kukui nuzzled them both gently to reassure them he was alright and then stretched out his back stingers to work out the kinks in them, keeping an eye on his family as he did so in case they got ideas about running away again. Ash started patting himself down to get rid of the sand clinging to his clothes, there was a lot of it but he made an effort to get rid of all of it. Kukui reached around with one stinger and carefully took Ash’s hat of his head, ruffling his hair to get the sand out. Ash subconsciously leaned into the petting with a pleased look on his face which brought a pleasant warmth to Kukui’s heart. Burnet meanwhile was trying to retie her hair in its signature style.

Kukui was about to help her when his danger senses went off, he scooped up his family and dived out the way just as a blurry shape cannonballed into where he was standing beforehand. Growling in fury he whirled around, stingers at the ready and his family shoved unceremoniously under the coat like membrane, only to be faced with a look of disappointment.

Hala was standing there with his Hariyama at his side, arms crossed and giving Kukui a look of grandfatherly disappointment. Kukui’s hackles raised and he growled in a feral way causing Hala to take a slight step back, he still refused to back down fully in the face of this threat the island Guardian wanted him about. “Stand down Kukui,” Hala spoke, trying to keep the slight fear from his voice by acting all confident. “No way old man.” Kukui spat, tightening his protective hold on his family “I refuse to listen to someone who’d eagerly groom two people to take over a position neither of them were prepared for. Especially when it drove them apart!” Hala flinched slightly at the accusation and Kukui continued, “You drove me and my best friend apart! Turned us against each other! Made us enemies! Now you seek to tear apart the one thing I hold dear! I won’t let you! This is my family! You won’t take them away from me! They’re mine!”

Ash and Burnet were quickly and carefully pulled out from under the coat like membrane and tucked into the tall grass behind Kukui, the stingers seemed to hug them lovingly before they snapped back to Kukui’s side. Hala whipped out four other Pokeballs and summoned his entire team to fight at his side, facing a furious yet protective ultra beast fusion. Kukui struck first, hoping to cut Hala off and deal with him quickly before he gathered his bearings and sounded out orders. However Hala reacted much faster that Kukui anticipated and he was struck heavily in the gut, the jelly head cocooning his body softened the blow but he felt the Nihilego’s pain as he slid back along the ground. Rubbing the area with a stinger he looked up to see Hala’s Crabomniable coming in with an Ice hammer attack, he swiftly dodged to the side which caused the ground where the attack struck to crack and buckle under the weight.

“Keikikane you have to stop this!” Hala yelled over the sounds of battle, “Young Ash and Mrs Burnet can take care of themselves! Stop trying to find an excuse to harm people you don’t like!” Kukui turned very slowly towards Hala, several tick marks on his face and his eyes flashing red due to his anger. “DON’T TALK TO ME LIKE I’M YOUR SON!” He roared angrily, “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO QUESTION WHAT I CAN AND CAN’T DO FOR MY FAMILY!” He lashed out with his stingers and viciously stabbed into Hala’s Hairyama, injecting it with paralysing poison. “YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR HANDS ON MY SON OR WIFE! I WILL PROTECT THEM IF I HAVE TO MAIM ANYONE WHO DARES COME NEAR!” Kukui had to avoid another Ice hammer to which he retaliated with a Stone Edge that cut deep into the ice crab’s fur, launching it into a rock face where it slid down and didn’t get up again. Kukui turned his attention to the rest of Hala’s team, the blue ring pattern showing up on the Nihilego’s entire body again. Hala started to sweat slightly under the feral intensity of the Papa   
Beast’s glare, he knew that he’d pushed Kukui too far but was prepared to pay the price if it meant more information for the Aether and Interpol.

The Papa Beast roared in a feral way before launching himself foreword, slamming his stingers onto the ground and causing a wave of rock and poison to explode outwards from where he stood. He slammed into Hala’s Bewear, felling it with a single strike, throwing it into the writhing mass of stone and poison where it was knocked around like a rag doll. Next he faced Hala’s Machamp which seemed to be able to use its four arms to hold back the Papa Beast’s four front stingers but it forgot to account for his four back stingers which shot forward. They struck the Machamp with a ton of force which dazed it, Hala yelled for Machamp to get out of there but it was too late as the Papa Beast had already unleashed a hyper Beam at point blank range. The explosion was massive and gave the Papa Beast enough time to recover from using the move and add to the mess of dust and dirt with a Sandstorm attack, it enabled him to hide himself in order to take down Hala’s final pokemon which was a Politoad. This could mean some problems since water types were super effective against rock types, luckily he could use hyper Beam again. Which he did so promptly.

Hala realises he had no pokemon that could fight against the behemoth that was the Papa Beast, this fusion of beast and man was way stronger than anticipated. He had to escape now before the Papa Beast could find him and maim him like all those other people who’d fallen at his stingers. He returned his pokemon and legged it as soon as the Papa Beast cut through the sandstorm with his stingers. Dispelling it.

Kukui looked around and purred in satisfaction, seems like Hala got the message to stay away from his family. He made his way to where he’s stashed his family to see Ash in Burnet’s arms, shaking from what Kukui could see as fear. Letting out a huge breath he scooped them both up in his stingers and noticing the way they both flinched slightly, he felt slight anger at Hala for undoing all the hard work he’d put in to gain back his wife and sons trust.

Nuzzling them both close he resolved to try have a quiet night with his family, preferably curled up on the couch together with a movie playing and sharing popcorn with each other.

Little did the family of three know that things were about to get much worse for them, as Hala had tipped off both the Aether Foundation and the Interpol.


	5. Part five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay I’m really sorry this took so long, I was suffering from writers block and college was being very unforgiving. Luckily I got this done today so I’m pleased to present part 5. It’s gonna get darker still and as soon I find my plan again hopefully I’ll get back on track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Kukui descends more into madness he must first try remove two more obstacles that threaten his family. However even as he overcomes one obstacle to protect his family, more arrive to make sure he fails his duty. This time though he may have met his match.

Kukui dragged himself into his house, carrying his Keiki and wife in his stingers. He was barely able to get both of them onto the couch before he collapsed beside them, suddenly exhausted for reasons unknown. Burnet immediately knelt beside him and put her arms around the dome head in an attempt to hug him, Kukui responded by carefully wrapping two of his stingers around her middle. They soaked in each other’s comfort, Kukui felt himself calm and Burnet felt hope that her husband was fighting against the Nihilego’s control. Ash fidgeted a little and jumped when Kukui wrapped his four back stingers around him, ruffling his hair and gently rubbing his back in soothing motions. Ash couldn’t help but melt into the affection he was getting causing Kukui to start purring in happiness.

They sat like that together for another few minutes before Kukui became aware that he’d planned for a movie so with great reluctance he untangled himself from his family and went over to the cooker to prepare some popcorn. Ash and Burnet were waiting with blankets and pillows piled in front of the TV as Ash slipped a disk into the movie player and turned on the TV. Burnet organised the pile as Kukui made the popcorn, adding the right amount of salt to the popped kernels, he carried the steaming bowl in his stingers over to the pillow pile and carefully settled himself down draping blankets over his stingers and a whole duvet over the dome head. Burnet settles down right away but Ash needed some gentle coaxing before he felt safe enough to venture into the squishy embrace. Kukui purred warmly as he snuggled his family close, possessive thoughts intruding his mind. All these thoughts were centred around keeping his family safe and protected from those who’d either take them away or do them harm, Team Rocket and Hala had only strengthened his resolve that his family was safer with him.

Ash pondered over what had happened in the last couple of hours, he wasn’t sure what to make of the situation he was in to be quite honest. On one hand his surrogate father figure being possessed was bringing back some unpleasant memories of Groudon and the Pokelatian King, on the other hand Kukui didn’t try kill him and instead protected him viciously. Ash could still remember Team Rocket’s beaten bodies as the Professor stood over them like an avenging angel, he could still remember Hala’s pale face as Kukui screamed at him things that Ash never knew had been bottled up. It was obvious the Professor was slightly unstable due to the toxins and needed him and Burnet to keep himself sane, without them he became more of a monster than Lusamine could’ve ever hoped to be and that scared Ash. He took another handful of popcorn as the movie continued to play, snuggling into the jelly like embrace and deciding to make the most of this peaceful time before all hell broke loose.

After the movie finished playing the sun was starting to set just outside the window, Kukui carefully extracted himself from the sleepy Ash and trotted over to the kitchen. His stingers immediately got to work, pulling out pots and pans and ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Burnet followed after him to help him with the preparations, Kukui enjoyed the warm feeling he got from this activity as it was like he had a true family. He glanced over to see Ash dozing lightly on the pile of pillows and hummed happily, his Keiki was settling in nicely as was his wife who was currently helping him make the sauce for the lasagna they were having.

Ash awoke when the lasagna was almost ready, sleepily making his way to the table where he laid out the cutlery and cups. Kukui retrieved the pasta dish from the oven and Burnet poured out the juice she snatched from the fridge, as the family sat down for dinner Kukui tentatively ruffled Ash’s hair. His stinger was trembling slightly as if he was holding something back so he didn’t hurt Ash in the process, Ash meanwhile tensed slightly as Kukui rubbed his head but eventually melted into the petting. Burnet poured out the juice and the family ate in peace, occasionally Kukui would run his stingers over Ash and Burnet’s backs. Mainly this was to reassure him that his family was close and safe.

———————————

Kukui rocked Ash in between his stingers as they sat together on the porch, staring out at the sea as the waves calmly lapped at the shore. Burnet was busy in the kitchen cleaning up which gave Kukui ample time to bond with his Keiki.

Kukui purred serenely as Ash burrowed himself in his stingers, taking care to keep said stingers free of poison so he didn’t hurt his family. “Papa?” Ash mumbled sleepily and Kukui perked up at the title, a warm feeling settled in his gut as he gently pet Ash’s hair. “Why did you attack Hala?” Kukui thought for a minute before answering “Because Keiki, he tore me and my traitorous friend apart. Let us think we each had a chance at becoming something great before it was snatched away from us.” Kukui hissed in displeasure and Ash curled closer to him to anchor and comfort the behemoth that was his surrogate father. Kukui continued, his words bitter and resentful “In reality all he wanted was his son, not two replacements he tried to mould to his liking. He also tried to take you and Burnet from me, I will not allow the people I care about be taken from me again.” He punctuated his words by slightly crushing the wood under his back stingers, his teeth bared and his stance screaming protectiveness.

Ash seemed to take that at face value as he burrowed closer, taking comfort in his papa’s protective embrace. Mulling over what he’d just heard and wondering how Pikachu was doing with Professor Oak and his mother. He perked up when Burnet exited the house and came to join him, Kukui opening up his stinger filled hug and letting her climb in. Ash snuggled into Burnet’s embrace and sat quietly with his two surrogate parents, hoping that things would get better for them all.

It wasn’t to be however, as Kukui picked up on multiple vibrations from the ground. Somehow he was able to tell the size and quantity of the ones who let off these vibrations, he tensed and started to growl. His Keiki and wife reacted with alarm and he immediately acted, carrying them into their home and depositing them on the sofa. “Stay here.” He growled furiously. His stingers pulsing with the ringlike pattern now associated with his higher form, dubbed Berserker Mode by Burnet. “People are coming and they want you both, stay here where it’s safe and don’t come out until I eliminate the threat.” With a final nuzzle for the two Kukui made his way out in preparation to confront the intruders who dared to try take his family from him.

—————————

“Alpha one to team seven, what’s your status?”  
“Target is in sight, we have eyes on the hostile.”  
“Teams five to eight, rally round and make sure you keep yourselves out of sight. The rest of you engage the hostile, have the cables and tranquilliser ready.”  
“The tranquilliser is five times the strength of the ones we give to a rampaging Tyranitar, are you sure this won’t kill him?”  
“We’re taking a risk here, the new champion and Professor Burnet are in danger. We have to take every risk we can.”  
“Understood sir.”

—————————

Kukui growled as he felt for the vibrations of the intruders, digging the points of his stingers into the ground and detecting a large group heading his way. How he knew to do this he had no idea but these geosense ability was very useful in detecting the intruders that dare come near him and his family. His eyes narrowed angrily as rage burned within him, he fed the rage and nurtured it into an unholy spark within himself. Directing it to what would eventually become a fight to protect, he would not have his hard work ruined. He refused to let these people take his family from him, he’d rather die than let the Aether take them from him.

He felt rather than saw the first attack, launching himself away as a Hydro Pump collided with the ground he was standing on a moment ago. Hellish red eyes bore into the assembled team, his form rippling as if a switch had been flipped and the ring pattern on his stingers flaring in response to his rage. The eyes on the stingers flared at the same time the rings did, the image it created was ten times more frightening than Lusamine had been. Not that Kukui cared, all he cared about was making sure they stayed AWAY from his family.

He slammed his stingers on the ground, triggering a new move he’d learned while fighting Hala. Earthquake. The ground rippled and cracked, a Stone Edge was added into the mix and created a horrifying combination that turned the beach into a jagged mess of glowing purple stone and debris. Kukui had done this for two reasons, one was to take advantage of his newly discovered ability to detect vibrations and the other was so the intruders wouldn’t see him coming until it was too late. Unfortunately this also gave the advantage of being hidden to the Aether but thanks to the Motion Sense ability the fusion had discovered... they couldn’t hide from him.

However it seemed the group was not to be deterred as multiple attacks broke through the stone spikes, demolishing most if not all of them as Kukui hastily threw up a Stone Edge around his home. Protecting his wife and son nestled within, making sure to cover the entire perimeter house with a wall of rock that would protect the precious bundles within from harm. Kukui snarled and immediately decked an approaching Pokemon in the face with one of his stingers, sending it flying into a rock outcropping. Not bothering to see if it survived Kukui used what was left of the stone outcroppings to bait multiple Pokemon into traps, taking them down with the ease of long practice. He relished in the chance to finally lash out, to finally vent all the aggression and fury in his system. He knew though, very deep down, that he would never be satisfied when he finally drove away the Aether. He would never be satisfied until all threats to his wife and Keiki were dealt with and even then it wouldn’t be enough.

He ducked to avoid a Hyper Beam attack and sent one of his own back, lashing out with his back stingers to catch several employees sneaking around what the assumed to be his blind spot. Their efforts were in vain though because even though he kept he sense of self unlike Lusamine the Nihilego could still act, however he was the one that controlled it and didn’t allow it to control him. He wouldn’t dare hurt his beloved wife and his Pepe.

He suddenly paused when he felt a flicker come from the house and panic overtook him. It was a diversion! They were distracting him so they could take his family from him! He saw the expressions of the Employees flash with panic and his eyes narrowed in fury. How dare they! How dare they! He screamed with fury as he lashed out, too angry to control himself, someone would pay dearly for this. No one took his family from him! No one! How dare they!

He unleashed a massive wave of poison, burying the numerous Pokemon sent after him and whirling around to the direction of his nest. He launched himself and hovered in the air, eyes narrowing in on the figures in white suits ushering his family out of the nest that had kept them safe. His angry roar was the first thing they heard as he pounced on the first one, grabbing them by the face with a stinger and tossing them away violently. He viciously stabbed one with another stinger, injecting poison into their bloodstream and then finally swatting aside the final intruder like he was a gnat. Panting with adrenaline and forcing himself to calm down he turned to look at his family.

Horror gripped them, he could see it in their eyes, horror and fear. Ash was cowering behind Burnet who was shielding him with her body. Their faces masks of shock. Kukui felt his blood run cold, he shouldn’t have done what he did, now they were afraid of him. He didn’t want to take drastic measures to protect them but he had to, both Burnet and Ash had made enemies. Ash he knew about but he had no idea who his wife has angered and wasn’t inclined to find out. He had to get them somewhere safe though, until the fighting was over. He fought down the sad pang in his heart as he stretched a stinger out to their trembling bodies, his heart breaking further when he saw them flinch away.

Suddenly a sudden pain in his leg made him screech in alarm and whirl round, in time to receive several more darts to various parts of his body. He felt himself grow heavy and sluggish and realised what was going on. NO!!!! HE WOULDN’T BE BESTED LIKE THIS!!! NOT WITH HIS KEIKI AND BELOVED IN THE CROSSFIRE!!!

Steel ropes wrapped around his stingers, dragging him down to the ground. He fought and struggled with all his might, screaming in rage and writhing with agony as the chemical spread through his body. He felt himself grow weaker as more and more ropes restrained him, more tranquilliser being pumped into him if he struggled, the Nihilego trying to heal him and fight off the chemicals in their combined veins. His screams got louder and more enraged as he continued to struggle until a Thunderbolt hit him dead on, his agonised howls were cut off as he collapsed on the ground, twitching from the electricity as he fell.

He gave a weak croon as he tried to open his heavy eyelids, the world blurring around him as he spotted his wife and Keiki being ushered away by people in white. Ash’s Pikachu had been the one who’d shocked him, now nestled in Ash’s arms as it spared dangerously at him. He weakly reached out an arm to them, wrenching it from the connecting glove with all the strength he had left. He gave a small whimper before darkness engulfed him, the last thing he saw before he collapsed was his families tear stained faces.

Darkness enclosed around him, swallowing him in its unforgiving embrace and he knew no more.


End file.
